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Box-o-Box: Care Packages for Every Occasion

by: Allison Margulies

Looking for a fun and unique way to say I love you or I miss you or good luck studying? Try Box-O-Box, a pre-made college care package. You can send them to any student at any college—directly to his or her door. Box-O-Box was created by two former University of Massachusetts students, Michael Hauke and Justin Zucker. The idea first came about when the guys and their friends realized how little thought was going into the care packages they were receiving. “Most of which were filled with junk food or crap we didn’t need.” Zucker agreed.

Box-O-Box officially launched in June, 2006. However, for the first ten to twelve months, Hauke and Zucker concentrated on test-marketing products to learn which ones had the most appeal to young adults. “We didn’t want to dive right into operating and marketing the business without feeling like we really understood the landscape of products offered in local, regional and national markets.” continued Zucker.

The initial funding for their company came from their own pockets. Once sales started to come in they started to use cash-flow; however, once their cash-flow didn’t meet their standards, they turned to credit cards. Finding the best wholesale costs for their products was the hardest part about starting Box-O-Box.

Now that Box-O-Box has become more popular, the two entrepreneurs employ more people. Back-to-school and exam times are when they have the most employees in their office. In order to make their products better, they conduct blind round-table sampling sessions—this allows them to gain the feedback they need to be successful with all types of college students. “In the past I’ve found that the more people you have in an office, the less efficient processes become.” stated Zucker.

Zucker and Hauke have one piece of advice for their fellow entrepreneurs, “Stay strong, stay committed and determined. Things will rarely go as planned, and the ability to adapt to the unexpected is crucial for survival. Don’t be afraid to use every resource you can find.”

With over 24 different themed boxes including birthday, exam time and movie night, these packages are going to make every college students day become box-o-excellent!

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